This report is part of a large research study investigating the effect of changing schools on academic success across nine provincial cohorts of Kindergarten–Grade 12 students in British Columbia. This component of the study looks at three groups of Kindergarten-Grade 4 and three groups of Kindergarten-Grade 7 students.
While enrolment patterns can vary widely both within and between provinces, the fact is that there are simply not as many school-age children in Canada as there were just a few years ago. In particular, the last of the large cohort of children born to the baby boomers between 1980 and 1994 have graduated from the kindergarten to Grade 12 system, and the children taking their places are part of a much smaller cohort.
Deciding whether or not to introduce a computer-based system into an adult literacy program elicits many questions. Does the approach used by the technology support the educational goals and philosophy of the unit? What changes occur in classroom practices? What will be the effects on the learners? Is the expense of setting up a computer-based system worth it? If trouble arises, who is there to help?
